Mackinac Island, Michigan (CNN) - Emphasizing his roots in Michigan, Mitt Romney started early Saturday morning paying a visit to a diner in the small coastal town of St. Igance, sitting with patrons and recalling his father, who was a popular governor in the state. Romney touched on his time growing up here as well as its various sports teams and even the geography.

He told the diners, "Everything I see around here reminds me of my parents" and that coming back "feels very much like home."
Romney hopes his Michigan background and continuing ties to the state will give him a major boost towards capturing the state's primary, which is scheduled for Feb. 28th - relatively early in the process.

Romney is the dinner speaker Saturday evening at a key Michigan Republican gathering, the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference. Approximately 1,600 party activists, donors and officials from across the state are gathering on the scenic Mackinac Island for the biennial conference at a time when the GOP in the state has renewed strength, including a new Gov. Rick Snyder, and the state GOP hopes it can help the party re-gather the White House.

But Texas Gov. Rick Perry is not ceding the state just yet. He is also speaking at the conference.

When CNN asked Romney whether his rival was coming into enemy territory, he said, "I expect all of the candidates to make a real run at Michigan, express their views. I am happy to be here as well. I am hoping that I will be able to win the primary in Michigan when the time comes. But we welcome other folks here - make it a real contest, have a lot of folks come in, spend some money. That is good for Michigan."

While he said "Michiganders want to see all of the candidates," behind the scenes Romney and his team are working hard to lock up the state. He has an organization already built in the state thanks, in part, to his 2008 primary win and some of his family still living here. He has won the endorsement of key officials, such as the speaker of the state house and the attorney general. On Saturday, Romney is trying to take advantage of the large number of power players at the conference and is set to meet with a number of activists and donors - both those who have committed to him as well as those who are uncommitted and who he hopes to sway to his side.

"Hopefully the people of the state will support me like they did last time," he said.

Romney briefly took the helm of the ferry that took him from St. Igance back to Mackinac, recalling the time he spent on the island while his father, George, was governor. During his father's tenure, the only mansion for the chief executive was on Mackinac. He recalled taking a 16-year-old girl to the island sailing, riding bikes and even spending the night at the mansion. He would eventually marry that girl, Ann. Romney emphasized they slept in different bedrooms at the time, joking "we come from the 1960s."

He spent a lot of time Saturday mingling with voters both in the diner as well as more than 100 that greeted him when he disembarked from the ferry. He walked through the downtown of the island for several blocks shaking hands.

He chose not to engage Perry. When asked about Perry getting hit by some conservatives on the issue of immigration, he said different candidates have differences on various issues and "those differences will be weighed by different people different ways. I hope people support me. You just let people know what you support. If they stand with you that would be great." He called Thursday night's debate, which pundits mostly said he did very well at, as "a great debate."

soundoff(9 Responses)

GI Joe

How sweet – it's a shame a lot of us don't have homes because of the last REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.

September 24, 2011 12:41 pm at 12:41 pm |

Jim

G Romney, bankrupted AMC, also known as Nash in the 60's. That company was in fact brought back by Teague in 1962. Teague was a race car dude and made the first curved side window and plastic grills. So, in fact G Romney made his money on firing workers. His son Mitt did this real well by buying companies and firing the workers when he dismantled them.

September 24, 2011 12:42 pm at 12:42 pm |

Doug

Lots of Michael Moore-on type of Demolibs in Michigan, at the very least everyone of 'dem wishes harm on every Republican in America so I hope Mr. Romney is well taken care of. An unstable hate filled being is known as a Democrat, not all Democrats are, but everyone who is is a Democrat, that's fact.

September 24, 2011 01:00 pm at 1:00 pm |

ken

Mitt says being back in Michigan reminds him of home. If the reminders are that strong, may I suggest that he go home? I'm sure the nation will make do without him.

September 24, 2011 01:49 pm at 1:49 pm |

Noodle Nose Johnson

I'm sure he played up his "Let the automakers go bankrupt" viewpoint while he was there as well, right? Oh he didn't? Lemme guess that he's going to deny he said it, like he'll soon deny that he said "Corporations are people".

September 24, 2011 01:56 pm at 1:56 pm |

Jilli

Right, Romney has such admiration for Michigan that he was completely wiling to let the American auto makers die. Romney is such a freaking fraud. He doesn't appear to have an honest bone in his body – he certainly doesn't have a spine, he's taken every side on all the issues. That must be his strategy for appealing to more voters – take all positions on the issues...he's got a real problem with principles and conviction. Weak, weak, weak.

September 24, 2011 02:00 pm at 2:00 pm |

Dixie

GOP won special elections to Congress. Call me paranoid, but the TEA Party/gop is well organized and getting their voters to the polls. Democrats, Independents - We need to work on getting our voters to the polls. We slept through those elections. No Republican president.

September 24, 2011 02:08 pm at 2:08 pm |

Don McKennan

I believe it is St. Ignace, not St. Igance.

September 24, 2011 03:13 pm at 3:13 pm |

paul

Mitt, I hope you took time to visit the thriving auto companies which of course you were against giving them any help except a suggestion they go into bankruptsy. My guess is now you are saying you were rooting for them all the way.